When ‘fishing ain’t what it used to be’ is a good thing

The fishing ain’t what it used to be.   We’ve all heard that familiar lament, usually uttered by an angler trudging back to the parking lot after getting skunked. As conservationists, we know it’s too often true. The losses of trout and salmon fisheries relative to their historic distribution are well known to all of us. But this

International Year of the Salmon

This year is the International Year of the Salmon, and it couldn’t have come too soon. Wild salmon the world over are in peril—once plentiful stocks are dwindling in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Dams block migration. Proposed industrial development, like the Pebble Mine in Alaska, threaten intact populations. Pollution, salmon-farm escapees and disease

‘Catching Yellowstone’s Wild Trout’

Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from the new book, “Catching Yellowstone’s Wild Trout: A Fly-fishing History and Guide,” by Chris Hunt, Trout Unlimited’s national digital director. The book, endorsed by TU, is available for pre-order now, and hits shelves on June 17. Several of today’s iconic fisheries in Yellowstone National Park are only fisheries

Shenandoah Valley headwaters conservation

Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley is the stuff of postcards — majestic mountains, tiny meandering streams and breathtaking vistas. Home to the George Washington National Forest and Shenandoah National Park, the Shenandoah Valley is a destination for hunters and anglers around the country. Here, TU is working to restore streams to their former glory. By reintroducing native

Why is it important that we recover southwestern trout?

Jim looked at me in disbelief. “What?” I repeated my question, “Why is it important that we recover southwestern native trout?” “Let me tell you a story,” he said. Jim Brooks was the longtime lead of the Gila Trout recovery team. Gila trout are native to the tributaries of the Gila River in New Mexico